Jazz Soloing Made Easy With Chord Tones

By Darren DeFranco

Hey guys,

Soloing is usually a tricky concept, but it doesn’t have to be. If you have a solid game plan you should be fine! Today we’re going to talk about one of the most basic but fool proof methods for soloing – using chord tones to construct a solo. The idea is simple – you play the notes of a chord while that chord is being played by the other musicians. So when they’re playing a G major 7, you’re hitting the notes of a G major 7 – G B D or F#. Now keep in mind this is not a hard and fast rule, but rather a suggestion that has worked with jazz players in the past. You’re free to always experiment with your solos!

Enjoy the lesson guys!

Try heading over to our jam tracks and use chord tones to create a solo.